Orchard heater



7 4 2, i. 6 4. l. R E T L E F N E G m L G.

July 10, 1923.

ORCHARD HEATER Filed DeC- 17 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet l vJuly 10, 1923.

G. LINGENFELTER ORCHARD HEATER Filed DSC'. 17 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .a construction and combination of Patented July 1o, 1923.'

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.. 'y

application mea member i?, iszo. serai in. asians.

To all 'whom it may concern.'

Bait known that I, GEORGE LiNanNrnL'raii, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Sandy, in the county of Clackamas and State of Oregon, have invented new and useful Improvements in Orchard Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and eiicient means whereby orchards in exposed positions geographically or 1n the event of unseasonable weather may be heated, or wherein the temperature may be modified to an extent suiiicient to protect the trees, as for example in the budding stage, under conditions which will be more favorably effective than when reliance 1s placed upon bond fires and the like; yand more particularly to provide an apparatus of a portable character which is adapted for producing and widely distributing heated air under conditions which will raise the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere without involving risk of damage t the -foliage or buds of the fruit bearing trees which are ,the object of protection; and with these aims in view the invention consists in arts of which a preferred `embodiment is own in the drawings, wherein: Y

Figure 1 is a plan viewv of a heating paratus embodyin the invention.

Figure 2 is a si e view of the same.

Fi re 3 is a transverse sectional view of the rnace.

Figure 4 is a 'longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Figure 5 is a detail view of one of the plates.

The apparatus consists essentially of a wheeled truck which may be connected to any suitable traction means to provide for moving it from place to lace as the requirements may dictate, a p atform being arranged upon said truck to support a substantially cylindrical furnace 11 with which communicates a blast pipe 12 served by a fan 13. The fan may operate by any suitable motive power but inasmuch-as theefliciency ofthe apparatus. depends toa cerwith a tain extent upon moving it lace to place and more or less continuously t roughout the area of the orchard, it is practical to drive the fan from one of the wheels of the truck as b providing the same with a sprocket whee "14 connected by a suitable chain 15 with a sprocket pinion 16 on a transverse shaft 17 carrying a pulley 18, and connectiililg the latter by means of a belt 19 ley 20 on the fan shaft.

The last pipe is preferably enlarged or expanded as shown at 21 and extended longitudinally through the furnace casing 11 naar or at the bottom thereof as shown in Figures 3 and 4, said enlarged or expanded portion ofthe pipe being provided with lateral perforations 22 to produce an effective distribution of the air supplied by the fan.

Spanning the Lportion of the blast pipe which is enclose within the furnace is a series of lates 23 of arched form as shown in detail in Figure 5, the outturned edge portions 24 thereof being arranged in bearing contact with the inner surface of the wall of thefurnace, and the arches of the plates being provided in their sides with the outlets 25 so that the blast from the fan is discharged circumferentially within the furnace of which the fuel may consist 4of straw, leaves or other like material which will burn freely and produce a relatively high temperature. The outlet from the furnace which is shown at 26 is preferably located at the rear endthereof and near the top, and owing to thev blast furnished by the i fan the heat is widely distributed and thus serves to effect the temperature of the air throughout a relatively large zone.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and useful is:-

1. An orchard heating apparatus having a horizontal furnace provided at one end and near the top with an outlet, a blast pipe extending longitudinally through the ,furnace near the bottom thereof, arched plates spannin the enclosed portion of the blast pipe an having lateral distributing 'openings, and means for supplying a blast to said pipe.

2. A11 orchard heating apparatus having Q 't A mensa? ay horizontal furnace provided at one end pipe, said plates being rovided with outand near the top with an outlet, a blast pipe wardly turned flan s dr bearing contact extending lon ltudinally through the furwith the inner sur ace of the wall of the lo nace near the ottom thereof, arched plates furnace. 5 spanning the enclosed portion of the blast Y In testimony whereof he aiiixes his signa-l pipe and havingr lateral distributing openture.

ings and means r supplying a blast to said GEORGEl LIN GENF-ELTER. 

